Google has done an excellent job of evolving Google+ into something actually worthwhile. Instead of trying to mimic what Facebook is doing, Google has opted to concentrate on Communities and Collections. The idea is to get people interacting with one another around a centralized topic.

But Google didn't stop the evolution there; in fact, the company did something Facebook hasn't even come close to pulling off: make it easy to post in multiple communities. Now, this doesn't mean you can or should post to multiple communities simultaneously — in fact, Google frowns upon this activity and considers it spam — so be careful how you post.

How to post within the groups you follow

When you open Google+ on your mobile device (this works the same on the desktop version of Google+), you will see the large + button in the lower right corner of the screen. Tap that button to open the posting window.

Under your Google account name, you should see in blue where you are posting (Figure A). If you tap that link (it will default to Public), you can select where you want to post (Figure B). You can choose from any Community in which you are a member, Collection that you follow, or any Google+ member that's in your circles.

Figure A

Image: Jack Wallen

Posting in Google+ on a Verizon-branded Nexus 6.

Figure B

Image: Jack Wallen

Selecting where to post.

Tap to select where you want to post, compose your post, and then tap the right-pointing arrow in the top right corner of the posting window.

Although you cannot post to multiple communities or collections simultaneously, you can post to multiple people at once. To do this, follow the same steps as above, only tap the CIRCLES & PEOPLE tab and then tap to select all the users you want to post to (Figure C).

Figure C

Image: Jack Wallen

Posting to multiple users at once.

If you plan on posting the same thing to multiple communities, collections, or people, you can copy/paste the content of the post and then go back and redo the above steps; this means you no longer have to navigate into the community, collection, or users page to post.

What do you think of Google+?

Google has done a great job of resurrecting Google+ from what was certain death. If you've not been back to the social networking site recently, I recommend you do and give it a second chance.

Have you used Google+ since its retooling? If so, what do you think? If not, what keeps you away? Let us know in the comments.

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About Jack Wallen

Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic and Linux.com. He’s an avid promoter of open source and the voice of The Android Expert. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.

Full Bio

Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic and Linux.com. He’s an avid promoter of open source and the voice of The Android Expert. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.